Detachable leg for voting-machines.



G. G. ABBOTT.

DETAGHABLE LEG FOR VOTING MACHINES. APPLIO-ATIION FILED D30. 30, 1907!.

Patented Oct-13, 1908.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

n42 NORRIS PETERS co..'wAsHmcraN, n. c

0. G. ABBOTI.

' DETAGHABLE LEG FOR VOTING MACHINES.

Patented Oct. 13,1908.

2 SHEETSSHEBT 2.

AIPPLIUATION FILE!) DEG- 30, 1907.

I I I 1 I 1 I i l I I I I Witmaooeo: I

- I 3514- amen 1013 I THE NORRIS PETERS ca, WASHINGTON, u c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES C. ABBOTT, OF PITTSFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO TRIUMPH VOT- ING MACHINE COMPANY, OF PITTSFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

DETACH ABLE LEG FOR VOTING-MACHINES' Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 13, 1908.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES C. ABBoTT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pittsfield, county of Berkshire, State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and usevful Detachable Leg for Voting-Machines, of

which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object to provide legs or supports for voting machines which shall be simple and inexpensive to make, will support the machine firmly,may be readily attachedand detachedwithout the use of screwsandfmay be packed in small compass for shipment or storage.

With these and other objects in view I have devised the simple and novel legs for voting machines and mode of attaching the same, which I willnow describe, referring to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and using reference characters to indicatethe several parts.

Figure 1 is a rear elevation of a voting machine illustrating the mode of attaching the legs thereto; Fig. 2 an end elevation correspondingv therewith; Fig. 3 adetail sectional View on an enlarged scale on the line 3-3 in Fig. 2; Fig. 4i an elevationas seen from the right in Fig. 3, the head of the leg being withdrawn from the socket; Fig. 5 a detail section on the line 5-5 in Fig. 6; Fig. 6 a section on the line 66 in Fig. 5; Fig. 7 a detail sectional View illustrating the mode of attaching the brace to the base of the machine, the section line being indicated by 77 in Fig. 8; and Fig. 8 is a section on the line 8-8 in Fig. 7. 10 denotes the base of a voting machine .case which is shown as made of sheetmetal to the ends of the case, the upper ends of said plates being curved outward and downward to provide sockets 13 which receive the. upper ends of the legs. A bolt 14; passes through the inner ,andouter thicknesses of the plate, crosses the socket transversely for purpose presently to be, explained, and

also passes through the case and through an angle plate 15 within the'case.

16'denotes the legs as a whole. Each. leg is formed from a strip of angle iron which is bent at its mid-length to form a head 17 and two branches 18 which extend parallel with each other for two-fifths more or less of their length and then diverge as clearly shown in Fig. 2, the fiat side of the angle strip lying toward the end of the case and the flange, indicated by 19, lying on the inner side of the head and branches. The lower ends of the branches are braced and strengthened by braces 20, preferably crossed, the ends of which are riveted to the branches respectively.

21 denotes a plate to which the branches are riveted and 22 an angle plate riveted to the inner side of plate 21. p

23 denotes tapering studs, projecting upward from the horizontal portion of angle plate 22 and engaging recesses 24 in the bottom of the case and in cross plate 11, at each corner of the machine when the leg is.in

place, as clearly shown in Figs. 5 and 6. The upper ends of the heads of the legs are provided with recesses 25 and at the midlength of the recesses and extending into them with slots 26. The mode of engagement of the heads of the legs with the looking plates will be readily understood from Figs. 3 and 4. Recesses 25 are made wide enough to receive the upper ends of the sockets on the locking plates when the legs are raised to place and slots 26 receive cross bolts 14.

. 27 denotes braces formed from rods bent at their mid-length and twisted as at 28, the branches, indicated by 29, diverging below the twisted portion and being provided at their lower ends with lugs 30, which engage holes 31 in the flanges of the legs and are preferably headed to prevent withdrawal. At the upper end of each brace is a head 32 having a transverse hole 33 through it. This head passes through a hole 34 in the base of the case and is received in a housing 35 within the case. As shown in the drawings eachhousing consists of a loop or bend in a brace 36 which extends transversely across the case and is riveted to the bottom thereof.

. v37 denotes angle pieces on opposite sides of the housings which are riveted to the bot- .tomof the case and to an upright'38.

39 denotes a bolt having a U -shaped head 40, the branches of which pass through holes 41 in the wall of the case. The shank of each bolt is adapted to pass through holes in the opposite. sides of one of the housings and through the hole 33 in the head of the corresponding brace to lock the brace rigidly in place. A spring 42 surrounding the shank of the bolt and bearing against the case and a pin 43 in the bolt acts to retain the bolt in the locking position, as clearly shown in .Fig. 7. lVithdrawal of the bolt is limited by a stop 4a which may consist of a pin in the short branch of the head of the bolt or a piece of wire tapped into the head of the bolt and curved around it. This stop engages the inner side of the case when the bolt isdrawn outward to unlock head 4:0 of the brace and retains the bolt in place.

The operation is as follows: To attach a leg, the case is raised, the head of the leg placed in engagement with locking plate 12 in the manner indicated in Fig. l (whichsee in connection with Fig. 3.), the recess 25 in .the head receiving the upper end of the socket on the locking plate and slot 26 receiving the bolt in the socket so that when engaged the head of the leg will be firmly but removably secured in place. The bolt 14 prevents the socket from being opened outward in taking off or putting on the leg and the engagement of the upper end of the socket on the locking plate with the recess in the head of the leg prevents the machine from tipping sidewise. Simultaneously with the engagement of the head of the :leg with the locking plate, studs-23 upon angle plate 22 engage the recesses 2% in the bottom of thecase. The brace is then swung to place, head32 being passed through the hole in the bottom of the case and into the housing, the bolt being first withdrawn and then allowed to spring to place, passing throughhole 32 in the head of the brace and rigidly lockingthe brace in place, so thatthe leg cannot drop oif should the machine be lifted from the floor. To remove the leg, ,it is necessary to lift the machine-slightly and withdraw the bolt, which allows the head of the brace to be removed from the housing and the leg to be moved downward, the head of the leg passing out of engagement with the locking plate .and studs 23 passing out of'engagement with the recess in the bottom of the case.

It will be noted that the legs can be attached and removed without unlocking the machine. hen removed for storage of the machine or in packing for shipment, the brace is swung downward and around eupward again so that it will lie inside the flange of the leg and on the opposite side of the crossed braces 20 from that shown in Fig. 2, so that it will be wholly out of'the way. 7

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

-1. The combination with a voting machine case having a locking plate secured to the end thereof and curved-outward to form a socket, the bottom of the case being provided with recesses and a hole, of a leg having a head adapted to enter the socket and provided wit 1 a recess to receive the upper end of the plate, an angle plate secured to the leg and having studs to engage the recesses, a brace pivoted to the leg and having a head adapted to enter the hole in the case and means for locking said head to the ease.

The combination with a voting machine 'ase having a .locking plate secured to the end thereof and curved outward to form a socket, the bottom of the case being 1 rovidcd with recesses and a hole, a housing over the hole and a springactuated bolt passing through the sides of the housing, of a leg having a head adapted to enter the socket and provided with a recess to receive the upper end of the plate, an angle plate socured to the leg-and having studs to engage the recesses and a brace pivoted to the leg and having a head provided with a transverse hole, said head being adapted to enter the hole and the housing in the case and to be locked therein by the bolt.

3. The combimition with a voting machine case having a locking plate secured to the end thereof, the bottom of the case being provided with recesses and a hole, of a. leg having a head adapted to engage the locking plate, an angle plate secured to the leg and having studs to engage the recesses, a brace pivoted to the leg and having a head with a transverse hole and a bolt for detachably securing the head of the brace in the hole in the case.

4. The combination with a voting machine case having a hole in the bottom and a housing over the hole and a leg detachably engaging the case, of a brace pivoted to the leg and a spring-actuated bolthaving a U-shapcd head lying outside the case, the branches of said bolt passing through the wall of the case, and the shank of the bolt passing through the housing and the head of the brace to lock the latter in place.

5. The combination with a voting machine case having a hole in the bottom and a housing over the hole and a leg detachably engaging the case, of a bracepivoted to the leg, a bolt having a .U-shaped head lying outside the case, the bunches of said bolt passing through the wall of the case and the shank of the bolt passing through the housing and. the head of the brace, a spring acting to retain the bolt in the locking position and a stop to limit the withdrawal of the bolt.

6. The combination with a voting machine case having a hole in the bottom and a housingover said hole and provided with transverse holes and a leg detaehably engaging the case, of a brace pivoted to the leg and having a head with a transverse hole and a spring-actuated bolt having a U-shaped head lying outside the case, the branches of said bolt passing through the wall of the case,

and the shank of the bolt passing through the holes in the housing and the head of the bolt.

7 The combination with case having a locking plate secured to the end thereof, the bottom of the case being provided with recesses and a hole, and the wall of the case being provided with holes, of a leg having a head adapted to engage the locking plate, and an angle plate having studs to engage the recesses, a brace pivoted to the leg and having a head, a housing over the hole. in the bottom which receives the a voting machine head of the brace, and a bolt having a U- shaped head lying outside the case and the branches of which pass through the holes in the wall of the case, the shank of the bolt passing through the housing and being adapted to lock the head of the brace to the case.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES C. ABBOTT. Witnesses Roscon S. COLLIN,

GEO. O. B. HAWLEY. 

